Revelations – Is This Netflix’s Thriller Really That Good?

The movie Revelations is a 2025 South Korean psychological crime thriller. Its trailer was released on March 17th, 2025, and the movie premiered exclusively on Netflix on March 21st, 2025.

The film is written by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok, produced by Alfonso Cuarón and directed by Yeon Sang-ho. It is based on a Webtoon called Revelations, produced by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok.

Revelations was originally in Korean and was dubbed into English by the Wow Point production company in South Korea. It is rated PG-13 and contains intense scenes and psychological moments. The movie runs for 2 hours and 2 minutes.

The film is also known as “Khải Thị”.

The Premise

Revelations shows how fragile faith can be, especially when tested. The story is about Pastor Sung Min-chan, a religious leader that is well respected. He is known for his unshakeable beliefs in God.

When his son goes missing, he starts investigating the disappearance. He is however drawn into an investigation led by Detective Lee Yeon-hui, a woman whose sister committed suicide following an abduction and rape. Yeon-hui is haunted by visions of her late sister urging her to avenge her death.

However, as their investigations interwine, they are led to Kwon Yang-rae. He is a convicted kidnapper and rapist, recently released from prison.

As the story continues, it focuses on themes of faith, guilt and vengeance, together with blurring of the lines between right and wrong.

The movie tries to answer some questions pertaining to morality for instance: when someone you love gets taken away from you, how far will you go to save them and get justice for them? When faced with prevailing trials and tribulations, can faith survive? Do two wrongs ever make a right?

Cast and Performances

Ryu Jun-yeol as Pastor Sung Min-chan:

Ryu Jun-yeol depicts a Pastor who is torn between his spiritual beliefs and the reality of the disappearance of his son. He nuanced the performance and captures the internal conflicts suffered by a man convinced he is seeking divine justice.

Shin Hyun-been as Detective Lee Yeon-hui

She plays the role of a detective haunted by visions and personal guilt of having not been able to rescue and save her sister and get her the justice she needed.

Her portrayal was top-notch, capturing her character’s struggles and empathy beautifully. The interaction between Pastor Sung Min-chan and Detective Lee Yeon-hui added depth to the movie, with each character challenging the beliefs and struggles of the other.

Shin Min-jae as Kwon Yang-rae

Kwon Yang-rae is a convicted kidnapper and rapist who claimed mental illness in order to justify his actions. The character had a way of drawing out one’s empathy and sympathy, making the audience wonder whether he is simply misunderstood or if he is just evil. He always puts on a calm face against all accusations, creating tension in any scene he is seen.

Together with the supporting cast, this cast brought the characters to life, making the movie very captivating and engaging.

What I liked about the movie

Adaptation of mental health illnesses and human psychology

The movie tries to educate us on mental health illnesses people are living with. That one’s actions are not always entirely their fault; in some cases, most of them are mentally ill and need medical help.

The movie takes into account the psychology of its characters: how do they react to pain, fear, grief and the unknown?

Cinematography and Atmosphere

There is heightened atmospheric tension, well depicted in the haunting scenes, and the cinematography effectively captures the mood.

The movie is really beautiful, with great picture quality. In the church, the wide shots of empty seats and the characters isolated emphasise the loneliness and despair fuelling the movie.

Plot scenes and character development

From the opening scene until the final act, the movie kept the audience engaged and entertained. The pacing is slow but deliberate, slowly revealing secrets, thereby making the story more interesting.

Positive messages

The movie does a great job of showing how past traumas can shape one’s future and life, especially fuelling violent behaviours.

It is a reminder that darkness sometimes comes from a place of hurt and that healing ignored can turn into something far more destructive.

Take responsibility for your actions and don’t just hide behind a god or devil.

It takes a bold stance on the dangers of religious fanaticism, showing how blind faith can be a tool for justifying wrongdoing.

What didn’t work

Plot holes and deficiencies

The first half of the movie was filled with gripping suspense and unpredictability, while the last half was more predictable and less engaging.

There were moments where the character’s journey felt confusing, forced and uncalled for.

Every issue in the movie from start to finish was resolved too quickly without leaving room for better suspense build-up.

Some loose ends in the story

There are a few unresolved subplots that might leave some viewers frustrated. Certain characters introduced early on seemed important, only to fade into the background without much explanation. This could have been tightened up to create a more satisfying conclusion.

I felt the last 15 minutes could have been more polished in terms of writing in order to justify the whole process and to keep the audience engaged. The end didn’t leave an impact on me.

A slightly too-long runtime

At over two hours, the film lingers on, certain scenes longer than necessary. While the slow-burn approach adds tension, some moments could have been trimmed to maintain momentum.

Reckless Character Choices

Another downside is how the characters make some terrible choices, e.g., a detective goes to a suspected crime scene alone, and the perpetrator not covering his tracks at all; these are instances of some of the very ridiculous choices made by the characters.

Final Thoughts

Despite some narrative issues, the movie’s strong cast performances, beautiful cinematography and atmosphere make it a must-watch for fans of psychological crime thrillers. Revelations is one of the unique thrillers of the psychological crime genre in recent memory, delivering gripping storytelling, portrayal of great themes, and important positive messages.